A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

FORTUNE IN LIFE TOLD BY THE CASTING OF DICE.

I do not know any other version of these lines, save one in Sloane MS. 513, fo. 98 v^o. (the only English thing in a volume of Latin pieces) though they probably exist in other miscellaneous books. The first line is wanting in the Brome MS. and is supplied from the Sloane; this latter, on the other hand, is not perfect, being cut off at line 70 of the Brome MS. The numerals of each cast are set in figures in the margin of the Sloane, and are transferred here to the left side of the page; they are pictured in red like red dice, on the side of one page of the Brome MS. The curiosity of the poem, otherwise without merit, lies in the combination of two favourite pastimes of our fathers—nay, they are hardly extinct yet.

666

[þou þat hast y-cast tre syses here] Schall haue ȝowr dessyer y^e same ȝer, [folio 2a] How ȝow stabyll and ware nowt, For ȝe shall haue after ȝowr thowt. Line 4

665

ȝe that haue to sysyttes and a synke, Closse ȝowr hart and on god thynke, And so be godes grace ȝe schall fulffyll That ȝe dessyer, with hart and wyll. Line 8

Line 8

664

Synys and Catyr that ȝe haue cast, Schowyt þat ȝowr hart ys stedffast, Erre nowt but euer thynke wyll, And ȝowr dessyer schall cumme in euery dyll. Line 12

663

That ȝe haue cast synys and trey, May lytely ffallyn on ȝowr pray, ȝe mvst cast another chanche Yff ȝe thynke ȝowr selffe to a-vans. Line 16

662

Be synys and dewsse ȝe may trost To haue ȝowr wyll at the last, But I tell ȝow, with owt fayll, ȝe schall haue myche thowt and travell. Line 20

661

Synys and asse tell me sekerly That ȝowr dessyer ys but folly, Schonge ȝowr thowt, I cowncell the, Yffe ȝe wyll not a schamyd be. Line 24

655

Be sysse and synkys [Sloane, quynze.] that ȝe haue cast ȝe schall haue swyche freynchepe at y^e last, Be wom ȝe schall avanteyssyd be, And set in worchop and in gret degre. Line 28

664

Sysse synke and Catter byndyn the, Chonge ȝowr thowt, for yt ys but a vanyte. Be thyng ȝow of the same thyn y^t ys mor abyll, For thys ys no thyng prophytabyll. Line 32

653

ȝe that haue cast sysse synk and thre, [folio 2b] ȝour dessyer to purposse browt may be, But yf dessyer be to ȝow hygth, Kepe ȝow fro schame both day and nygth. Line 36

652

Sysse synke and dewsse ys ȝour cast; ȝe dessyer, but be not agast, For yff ȝe warke wysely in ded and thowt To ȝour purposse, yt schall be rygth wyll browt. Line 40

651

ȝowr cast ys sysse synke and as; ȝe stond rygth in wonder casse,

ȝe dessyer and dare not tell, God be ȝour helpe and consell. Line 44

644

ȝe that sysse and caterys [Sloane, querins.] haue in y^e deysse, Let be ȝour thowtes, for they be nysse, ȝowr hart ys set in swyche a loue That ys no thyng for ȝour be-hove. Line 48

643

ȝe that hath cast sysse cater and trey, ȝe be set in ryght good wey, Bere ȝow wyll and be of good cowmfort, For ȝe shall be lovyd and haue gret dyssort. Line 52

642

Sysse cater and dwsse I tell ȝow tyte, That ȝour love hath ȝow in dysspyte, With draw ȝour hart and ryffe ȝow to pley, For no man can hold that wyll a-wey. Line 56

641

He that hath cast cater, as, and sysse, ȝe be of wyt both ware and wysse, But be war of comberyng of synne, Thynke on the hyndyng or y^t ye be gynne. Line 60

633

ȝowr cast wosse sysse and dobyll trey; Fortewne fall not to ȝour pay, But yf ȝe wyll haue ȝour wyll All that ys yll, let yt be styll. Line 64

632

ȝe that have sysse trey and dews cast, [folio 3a] Off a certyn thyng ȝe be agast, But loke ȝe be trew in ȝour entencion, And ȝe schall haue ȝour petyssyon. Line 68

631

He that sys, trey, and as to hym takys, In hys werkes wysely he wakys, For he schall dessyer no thynge, That he nowt schall spede of hys askynge. Line 72

(622) [The figures in ( ) are supplied by me.]

ȝe that haue sys, dewes, and too, ȝe be a ffolle, go were ȝe goo; ȝe coveyt of non lefful thyng, ȝe schall not spede of your askyng. Line 76

Line 76

(621)

ȝe y^t haue sysse, dews, and on cast, The best ȝynd of ȝour thryft ys past, But ȝe may ȝow so well ber, That ȝour enmyes schall ȝow not der. Line 80

(611)

ȝe that haue sysse and aumbys as, ȝe haue set ȝour hert in swyche a plase Were ȝe dare neyther speke nor loke, But thowt ys fre, thus seyth y^e boke. Line 84

(555)

ȝe that haue cast her thre synkys, ȝe dare not sey all that ȝe thynkes, [MS. has kynkes.] But ȝowr dessyer ȝe schall not ffayll, All thow yt schall ȝow lytyll a-wall. Line 88

(545)

Synke, cater, synke, ȝe haue on the dysse; I cownsell ȝow be war and wysse, Trost non erdely thyng that may be, For the wor[l]d ys but a vanite. Line 92

(530)

Synke and trey wos ȝowr fchauns; God ys myty ȝow to a-wauns, Be trew and trost in Mary myld, And sche wyll ȝow fro schame schyld. Line 96